Your website went down at 2 AM. You found out at 9 AM — from a customer. Let's make sure that never happens again.
This guide will get you from zero to fully-monitored in under 5 minutes, completely free, no credit card required.
What is Uptime Monitoring?
Uptime monitoring is simple: a service checks your website every few minutes and alerts you instantly if it goes down.
No more finding out from angry tweets. No more wondering "how long was it down?" You'll know within minutes.
Step 1: Create a Free Account
Head to owlpulse.org and sign up. The free tier includes:
- 5 monitors (enough for most side projects)
- 5-minute check intervals
- Email alerts
- No credit card required
Just enter your email, set a password, and you're in.
Step 2: Add Your First Monitor
Once logged in, click "Add Monitor" and enter:
-
URL: Your website (e.g.,
https://myapp.com) - Name: Something descriptive (e.g., "Production Site")
- Check interval: 5 minutes (free tier) or 1 minute (paid)
That's it. Hit save.
Step 3: Configure Alerts
By default, you'll get email alerts. But you probably want more:
Slack Integration
- Go to Settings → Integrations
- Click Add Slack Webhook
- Paste your Slack webhook URL
- Choose which channel gets alerts
Discord Integration
Same process — Discord webhooks work great for indie hackers and small teams.
SMS Alerts (Paid)
On the Pro plan ($9/mo), SMS alerts are included. No per-message fees.
Step 4: Test It Works
Don't wait for a real outage. Test your setup:
- Go to your monitor
- Click "Test Alert"
- Check that notifications arrive
If you're technical, you can also temporarily break your site (return a 500 error) and watch the alert fire.
Bonus: What Else Should You Monitor?
Most people only monitor their homepage. That's a mistake. Here's what to actually track:
| Endpoint | Why |
|---|---|
| Homepage | Basic availability |
/api/health |
Backend is responding |
/login |
Auth system works |
/checkout |
Revenue path is up |
| Database connection | Via health endpoint |
If your checkout page is down, your homepage being up doesn't matter.
Free vs Paid: Do You Need to Upgrade?
Stick with free if:
- You have ≤5 endpoints to monitor
- 5-minute check intervals are fine
- Email alerts are enough
Upgrade to Pro ($9/mo) if:
- You need 1-minute checks
- You want SMS alerts
- You're monitoring production revenue-generating apps
- You need unlimited monitors
Why Not Just Use UptimeRobot?
You can! But be aware: UptimeRobot raised prices from $8/month to $34/month in July 2025. Their free tier still exists but is limited.
OwlPulse was built specifically as an affordable alternative — $9/month for unlimited monitors with SMS included.
TL;DR
- Sign up at owlpulse.org (free, no CC)
- Add your URL
- Set up Slack/Discord alerts
- Test it
- Sleep better
Total time: ~5 minutes.
What endpoints are you monitoring? Drop a comment — I'm always curious what other devs prioritize.
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